For the fifth year, the public are able to vote for their favourite UK theme parks in national awards recognising the best rides and attractions, entertainment and events.
The awards are organised by ThemeParks-UK.com, an independent consumer guide to UK theme parks. In 2024, the awards are presented in association with AttractionTickets.com
There are 22 categories this year, including Theme Park of the Year, Best Customer Service and Best Value. The new categories include Best Ride Storytelling, Best New Food or Retail Outlet, Best Theme Park Lodges or Glamping, Most Missed Attraction From The Past, Best Accessibility Initiative and Best Sustainability Initiative.
In advance of the public vote, a shortlist has been compiled using public nominations and with the help of a panel of expert judges including Paul Kelly (Chief Executive of the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions) and Andy Hine MBE (Chairman - Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain). 28,652 nominations were received, with a total of 38 theme parks nominated for awards in 2024.
Major contenders for the awards include Alton Towers and Drayton Manor in Staffordshire, Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Lancashire, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey, LEGOLAND Windsor in Berkshire and Paultons Park in Hampshire.
Other UK theme parks to receive multiple nominations this year include Adventure Island in Essex, Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight, Crealy in Devon, Fantasy Island in Lincolnshire, Flamingo Land Resort in Yorkshire, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and ROARR! in Norfolk, Pleasurewood Hills in Suffolk, Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire, West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire and the various Gulliver's Theme Parks.
There is also an award for Content Creator of the Year, in recognition of the high quality user-generated content via blogs and platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Voting for all 22 categories is now open:
The public votes will be combined with those of our Expert Judges to determine the winners in each category.
Expert Judges
- Tom Anstey (Editor In Chief - Planet Attractions)
- Chris Belvin-Bailey (Founder - Attraction Source)
- Dawn Foote (Co-Founder & CEO - Katapult)
- Marcus Gaines (Owner - Ride and Park Media)
- Andy Hine MBE (Chairman - Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain)
- Paul Kelly (Chief Executive - British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions)
- Mark Locker (Founder & CEO - Attractions.io)
- Owen Ralph (Attractions Industry Journalist, Words and Attractions)
- Lawrence Roots (Founder - ThemeParks-UK.com)
- Beth Whitaker (Editor - InterPark)
Nominees
Theme Park of the Year presented by ADIPS
- Alton Towers
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Drayton Manor
- Fantasy Island
- Gulliver's Theme Parks
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Paultons Park
- Thorpe Park
- West Midlands Safari Park
Best New Attraction presented by LEAPS
- Ghost Ship (Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach)
- Gold Rush (Drayton Manor)
- Hyperia (Thorpe Park)
- Jeep Safari (Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park)
- Jolly Jockeys (Wicksteed Park)
- Jungle Jeeps (West Midlands Safari Park)
- Minifigure Speedway (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Space (Ocean Beach Pleasure Park)
- Splash Lagoon (Paultons Park)
- Vertigo (Adventure Island)
Best Reimagined Attraction presented by The Experiences Group
- Alice in Wonderland (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Big Easy Boulevard (Thorpe Park)
- Frontier Falls (Drayton Manor)
- Ghost Train (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Nemesis Reborn (Alton Towers)
- Safari Kingdom (Gulliver's Kingdom)
- Terence's Driving School (Drayton Manor)
- The Jolly Robin (Blackgang Chine)
- The Wave (Drayton Manor)
- Tiny Truckers (Chessington World of Adventures)
Best Theme Park for Families presented by Vennersys
- Adventure Island
- Alton Towers
- BeWILDerwood
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Crealy
- Drayton Manor
- Fantasy Island
- Flamingo Land
- Gulliver's Theme Parks
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Paultons Park
- ROARR!
- Thorpe Park
Best Theme Park for Toddlers
- Alton Towers (Cbeebies Land)
- BeWILDerwood
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Nickelodeon Land)
- Camel Creek Family Adventure Park
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Crealy (Sooty Land)
- Drayton Manor (Thomas Land)
- Gulliver's Theme Parks
- LEGOLAND Windsor (DUPLO Valley)
- Paultons Park (Peppa Pig World)
- Pettitts Animal Adventure Park
- ROARR!
- Sundown Adventureland
- Twinlakes
Best Theme Park for Thrills presented by Semantic
- Adventure Island
- Alton Towers
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Drayton Manor
- Fantasy Island
- Flamingo Land
- Oakwood Theme Park
- Thorpe Park
Best Theme Park with Animals
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Drayton Manor
- Drusillas Park
- Flamingo Land
- Folly Farm
- Paultons Park
- The Big Sheep
- West Midlands Safari Park
Best Seaside Park presented by Universal Verification
- Adventure Island
- Barry Island Pleasure Park
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Brean Theme Park
- Clacton Pier
- Clarence Pier
- Codona's
- Dreamland Margate
- Fantasy Island
- Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
- Harbour Park
- Ocean Beach Pleasure Park
- Pleasurewood Hills
- Southport Pleasureland
Best Ride Storytelling presented by The Business Creative
- Flight of the Sky Lion (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Gangsta Granny: The Ride (Alton Towers)
- Nemesis Reborn (Alton Towers)
- The Curse at Alton Manor (Alton Towers)
- The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure (Chessington World of Adventures)
- The Haunting (Drayton Manor)
- The Walking Dead: The Ride (Thorpe Park)
- Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
Best Accessibility Initiative presented by Katapult
- Accessibility Day Planner (Thorpe Park)
- Cbeebies Land Sensory Space (Alton Towers)
- Changing Places Facility (Camel Creek Family Adventure Park)
- Magic On Tour (Merlin Entertainments)
- ROARR! Inclusivity Video (ROARR!)
- Sensory Guide (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Sensory Guide (Thorpe Park)
- SignLive (Merlin Entertainments)
- SPARK SEND-Only Sessions (Drusillas Park)
- Total Sensory Space (LEGOLAND Windsor)
Best Sustainability Initiative presented by Taylor Made Designs
- Beach Cleans (Adventure Island)
- Beach Cleans (Fantasy Island)
- Going Green (GreenWood)
- Green by Nature (The Big Sheep)
- Green Dragon Roller Coaster (GreenWood)
- Paultons Promise (Paultons Park)
- RAW Charging (Merlin Entertainments)
- Reusable Cups (Drayton Manor)
- Reverse Vending Machines (Merlin Entertainments)
- SolarSplash (GreenWood)
Best New Event presented by Pure Entertainment Group
- Alton After Dark (Alton Towers)
- Bing's Sleepover (Gulliver's Land)
- Cbeebies Land 10 Years Celebration (Alton Towers)
- Fiesta of the Dead (Blackgang Chine)
- Ibiza Sunset Party (Flamingo Land)
- Land of Lights (Gulliver's World)
- Nemesis Reborn VIP Event (Alton Towers)
- Ninjas Unite (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Vampire Behind the Scenes Tour (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Vikings Festival (Drayton Manor)
Best New Entertainment presented by TAG Live
- Blast Off – A Space Rocket Adventure (Paultons Park)
- Bluey Live in Cbeebies Land (Alton Towers)
- BMX Extreme Stunt Show (Crealy)
- Captain Redbeard and the Legend of the Golden Cutlass (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Enchanted Hollow (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Legend of Hyperia - Flight to Fearless (Thorpe Park)
- Playtime with Bing & Flop (Gulliver's Land)
- Seatopia (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Stitches (Thorpe Park)
- The Phalanx (Alton Towers)
Best Theme Park Map
- Alton Towers
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Drayton Manor
- Flamingo Land
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Pleasurewood Hills
- Thorpe Park
- Wicksteed Park
Best New Food or Retail Outlet
- Boulevard Bites (Thorpe Park)
- Bunker '94 (Alton Towers)
- Cloud Nine Treats (Thorpe Park)
- Garden Café (Wicksteed Park)
- Generator Refuelling Company (Alton Towers)
- Grande Central (Paultons Park)
- Hyporium (Thorpe Park)
- Juiced Up (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Mexi-Co Kitchen (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Spice Kitchen (Thorpe Park)
Best Theme Park Lodges or Glamping presented by Lichfields
- Crealy Lodges (Crealy)
- Enchanted Village (Alton Towers)
- Explorer Glamping (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Glamping Pods (Twinlakes)
- Gulliver's Lodgings (Gulliver's World)
- Holiday Homes (Fantasy Island)
- Safari Lodges (West Midlands Safari Park)
- Stargazing Pods (Alton Towers)
- Wild Acre Village (Sundown Adventureland)
- Woodland Village (LEGOLAND Windsor)
Most Missed Attraction From The Past presented by Brave New Beast
- Apocalypse (Drayton Manor)
- Black Hole (Alton Towers)
- Bubbleworks (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Corkscrew (Alton Towers)
- Loggers Leap (Thorpe Park)
- Pirate Adventure (Drayton Manor)
- Rameses Revenge (Chessington World of Adventures)
- Ripsaw (Alton Towers)
- The Ultimate (Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park)
- Thunder Looper (Alton Towers)
Best Customer Service presented by Rose Events
- Adventure Island
- Alton Towers
- BeWILDerwood
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Crealy
- Drayton Manor
- Gulliver’s Theme Parks
- Paultons Park
Best Value Theme Park presented by Semnox
- Adventure Island
- Alton Towers
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Crealy
- Drayton Manor
- Fantasy Island
- Gulliver’s Theme Parks
- Paultons Park
- Pleasurewood Hills
Best Social Media Content presented by Rubber Cheese
- Adventure Island
- Alton Towers
- Blackgang Chine
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Drayton Manor
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Paultons Park
- Thorpe Park
- West Midlands Safari Park
Best Marketing Campaign presented by Agility
- Alton Towers 2024 TV Advert
- Big Easy Boulevard (Thorpe Park)
- Frontier Falls (Drayton Manor)
- Hyperia (Thorpe Park)
- LEGOLAND Windsor 2024 TV Advert
- Minifigure Speedway (LEGOLAND Windsor)
- Nemesis Reborn (Alton Towers)
- Soopa Sock Party (BeWILDerwood)
- Spook-Fest (Crealy)
- The Wave (Drayton Manor)
Content Creator of the Year
- Amy and Mel
- Chessington Buzz
- Coaster Crazy
- Coastertog
- Cupcakes & Coasters
- Diary of a RollerCoaster Girl
- DigitalDan
- Dominic Gardner
- Emmerlie Louisa
- Lift Hills and Thrills
- Off The Tracks
- Sam Costello
- SophiaParkAdventures
- TheJackSilkstone
- Theme Park Insanity
- Theme Park Worldwide
- Thrill Pix
- Thrill Riders
- UK Theme Parks
- Your Experience Guide
Voting
Voting for all 22 categories is open from Monday 22nd July until Sunday 1st September 2024.